Eagle roofing company ordered to pay more than $53K for child labor, overtime violations – Idaho Press-Tribune

EAGLE A construction company doing business in Eagle will pay more than $48,000 to 68 employees and more than $5,000 in civil penalties after a federal investigation found the firm violated overtime requirements and child labor laws.

The company, Cano Roofing, Inc., was doing business as Signature Roofing, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Labor. The departments investigation found the company employed a 16-year-old to perform roofing work and let a 17-year-old drive a company truck that exceeded the weight and size limitations for minor employees. All of those are violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, according to the release.

Because of those violations, the company will pay $5,526 in civil penalties, according to the release.

The company also didnt keep track of how many hours employees worked, and failed to pay them overtime, according to the release, nor did the company pay employees for time they spent on short rest breaks. The company will pay $48,206 as a result, according to the release.

Employers must understand and comply with child labor requirements, and provide a safe and healthy on-the-job experience when they hire young workers, the departments Wage and Hour District Office Director Thomas Silva is quoted as saying in the release. Employers are also required to pay their employees all the wages they have legally earned. We encourage employers and employees to call us for assistance to improve their understanding of the labor standards and learn about our on-line educational tools to avoid violations like those found in this investigation.

Joel Cano, owner of Signature Roofing, told the Idaho Press the investigation was amicable and he didnt feel hed been treated unfairly.

We dont feel like we were victims by any means, Cano, who founded the company in 2000, said in a phone interview Tuesday.

Part of the problem, he said, was the companys policy on allowing employees to clock out for lunch for less than 30 minutes at a time. Cano said he believed he could allow his employees to clock out and eat lunch for 15 or 20 minutes at a time, but thats not the case. An employee can only clock out for lunch if they take more than 30 minutes off. Otherwise, they are paid for that break. Cano said the company has changed its policy about lunch as a result of the investigation.

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In addition to that, Cano said, the roofing work the minor performed consisted of standing on the ground and handing things up to his father. It still constituted roofing work, though, which minors are not allowed to perform. Cano said the violation for allowing a 17-year-old to drive a truck exceeding limitations for minors as well. He said the boy took a Chevrolet Silverado 1500 to a car wash and washed it for the company.

Cano said the company no longer employs minors, because all of the work the firm does is considered roofing work.

We have made the changes, we did learn from it, we thought the fines were fair and everything was correct, Cano said.

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Eagle roofing company ordered to pay more than $53K for child labor, overtime violations - Idaho Press-Tribune